Welcome to the UT Arboretum

The UT Arboretum is a project of the University of Tennessee Forest Resources AgResearch and Education Center. It generally hosts more than 30,000 visitors annually. This 250 acre research and education facility has over 2,500 native and exotic woody plant specimens that represent 800 species, varieties, and cultivars.

The UT Arboretum serves as an outdoor classroom to university students in a variety of fields. It is also a place that provides a natural laboratory for research in plant uses, insect and disease control, and the management of natural resources. The facility is recognized as an official Wildlife Observation Area and part of the National Watchable Wildlife Program by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. It is also recognized by the Holly Society of America as an official holly test garden and the trails are part of the Tennessee Recreational Trail System.

Visit the UT Arboretum Home Page to read about Visitor Hours, Events, News, the Auditorium, and the UT Arboretum Society.

About Our Center

The University of Tennessee Forest Resources AgResearch and Education Center is an 11,425 acre field research laboratory. The Center is a regionally recognized leader in environmental stewardship, and developing new technologies applicable to modern forestry and wildlife resources management. The Forest Resources Center is one of ten research and education centers in the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, AgResearch system. Headquartered in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, the Forestry Resources Center is comprised of three forest units located in East and Middle Tennessee. Visit our website forestry.tennessee.edu to read more about our Center.

Our Mission

The UT Forest Resources AgResearch and Education Center mission is to: (1) provide the land and supporting resources necessary for conducting modern and effective forestry, wildlife, and associated social, biological and ecological research programs; (2) demonstrate the application of optimal forest and wildlife management technologies; and (3) assist with transfer of new technology to forest land owners and industries.

Environmental and land use stewardship has always been an important aspect of the UT Forest Resources Center and Arboretum mission. Responsible stewardship begins with a knowledge of past land use. Through the years, the Arboretum has collected valuable historic information about the property, including early 20th century aerial photos, oral histories from early residents, property plat plans, and photographs. Our "Kerr Hollow Heritage Trace" highlights the properties of the original residents of what was known as Kerr Hollow.

Arboretum visitors who walk along Old Kerr Hollow Road are actually following the original road used by the residents who occupied the area before it became federal property under the Manhattan Project.

Click this Kerr Hollow Heritage Trace link to read the history, view photos, or print a map of the area before it became federal property under the Manhattan Project in 1942.

The Oak Ridge Forest

The 2,204-acre Oak Ridge Forest in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, is headquarters for the UT Forest Resources AgResearch and Education Center. Established in 1964, this forest is unique in that, other than the traditional function of conducting forestry and wildlife research on the total property, 250 acres are identified as an Arboretum with a mission of public education and service. The Arboretum features interpretive nature trails and ecological points of interest.

The Cumberland Forest

The Cumberland Forest, established in 1947, is the largest field research unit in the UT Forest Resources AgResearch and Education Center, encompassing 8,361 acres of Cumberland Mountain forest land in Morgan and Scott counties. This forest facilitates several large- and small-scale forest and wildlife management research projects, as well as ecological demonstration projects. Research includes soil and waterway restoration. The Cumberland Forest is also the site of some of the earliest stripmine reclamation research in Tennessee.

The Highland Rim Forest

The 860-acre Highland Rim Forest, established in 1960, is located in Franklin County. This area is known as the "barrens" and is typified as being an Oak Forest of very low timber production and value. This station has numerous research and demonstration projects aimed at identifying optimum tree species and forest production systems to increase forest productivity on such sites.